GDT: 4/18/12 - DET (8-3) AT KC (3-8) - 8:10 p.m. ET 
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Detroit Tigers AT Kansas City RoyalsWednesday, April 18, 2012
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Game Time - 8:10 p.m. EDT ______________________________________
Preview Moved-up Sanchez faces mercurial ScherzerBy Zack Meisel / MLB.com | 4/18/2012 12:34 AM ET
Jonathan Sanchez's last outing was one he would prefer to forget. Luckily for the left-handed hurler, he'll get the opportunity to erase the memory sooner than expected.
Royals manager Ned Yost announced Tuesday that Sanchez will start Wednesday against the Tigers in place of Luke Hochevar, who gets an extra day to rest his sore ankle.
That means Sanchez will be starting on short rest after yielding five runs on six hits, four walks and a hit batsman against the Indians last Saturday. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings and threw 70 pitches.
Yost isn't concerned with his southpaw starting on short rest.
"A lot of times if you bring a guy back early it helps tighten his command up," Yost said. "We had a couple of different options. We could pitch Hoch on Wednesday or we could totally have him miss a start. Or bump Sanchez up to Wednesday, hopefully tighten his command up and give Hoch an extra day and a half before he has to start again."
Sanchez lost his only prior start against the Tigers, despite allowing just three runs in seven innings. He'll be opposed Wednesday by Max Scherzer, who has pitched on each end of the spectrum in his two outings.
In his first start, Scherzer departed after surrendering seven runs and eight hits while throwing 80 pitches in just 2 2/3 innings. On Friday, he struck out 11 while holding the White Sox to three runs in six frames. Oddly enough, the Tigers won his first start and lost his second outing.
In 10 career starts against the Royals, Scherzer is 4-4 with a 3.90 ERA.
Tigers: Cabrera earns praise for defense• So much for all of the offseason banter speculating that Detroit's defense would be its Achilles' heel. The Tigers were second in the American League with a .995 fielding percentage after Tuesday's action.
Miguel Cabrera, who shifted back to third base after most of four seasons at first, has committed just one error.
"He has done a great job," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "There were four or five different types of plays [Monday] and he made every single one of them. He's my third baseman, and I love him to death."
• Brandon Inge hit a meaningful home run Monday, providing Tigers fans with a flashback.
The infielder hit 27 home runs in 2006 and 2009, two totals that appear to be outliers for a defensive-minded player, who hasn't hit more than 16 homers in any other season and clubbed just three homers in 102 games in 2011.
Inge's two-run tater in the fifth inning on Monday gave Detroit a lead it never relinquished.
"I'm trying to pound it," Inge said. "What that does is put you in more of an aggressive state of mind."
Royals: Hochevar won't miss a start• Hochevar will pitch on Friday, one week after being hit in the ankle with a line drive off the bat of Cleveland catcher Carlos Santana. Hochevar gets an extra day to rest, with Sanchez pitching Wednesday on short rest.
"We feel that by Friday, Hoch will be 100 percent, or close to it," Yost said.
Hochevar will face the Blue Jays on Friday. In five career starts against Toronto, he is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA.
Worth noting• The Tigers do not have a first-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. The Royals will have the fifth overall selection.
• With two hits in Monday's 3-2 loss to Detroit, Royals designated hitter Billy Butler moved into a tie with Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki for the third-most career hits off Justin Verlander. Both players have 16 hits against the reigning AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner.
Zack Meisel is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @zackmeisel. 
Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (0-1, 10.38 ERA)Scherzer struck out 11 White Sox over six innings last Friday in Chicago, but took the loss with three runs allowed. He looked much improved from the command struggles of his season debut, and changed speeds much more effectively, both good signs.
Royals: LHP Jonathan Sanchez (1-0, 8.22 ERA)Sanchez gave up five runs in the third of his last outing vs. Cleveland, lasting just 2 2/3 innings. He walked four and surrendered six hits in the game, but did not earn a decision. This will be his second career start vs. Toronto.
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Tiger's MLB Game Notes
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers knocked off the Royals 3-1 last night, the club’s third straight win. Octavio Dotel (1-0) earned the win in relief for Detroit, while Jose Valverde posted his second save. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder both finished with two hits and an RBI for the Tigers. The Tigers conclude the club’s first road trip of the season this evening with the final game of a three-game series at Kansas City. Detroit returns home for a seven-game homestand with Texas and Seattle beginning tomorrow evening.
RACKING UP WINS AGAINST THE ROYALS: The Tigers enter tonight’s game at Kansas City having won 12 of the club’s last 17 games against the Royals dating back to May 13, 2011. Since Jim Leyland took over as the manager of the Tigers in 2006, Detroit has posted 64-46 record against the Royals, including a 37-19 record at Kauffman Stadium.
MIGGY’S THE MAN VERSUS KANSAS CITY: Miguel Cabrera enters tonight’s game hitting .337 (95x282) with 19 doubles, 16 home runs and 57 RBI in 75 games during his career versus the Royals. He is seventh among all active major league players with a .337 batting average against Kansas City, while he is ninth with a .574 slugging percentage.
A SERIES FULL OF LEFTIES: The Tigers will face Kansas City’s Jonathan Sanchez this evening, marking the third lefthanded starting pitcher the club faced during its three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. The last time the Tigers faced a lefthanded starting pitcher in all three games of a series was June 29-July 1, 2009 at Oakland, when the club faced Brett Anderson, Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden in successive games. (Source: STATS LLC)
FOR STARTERS: Tigers starting pitchers have combined to post a 2.55 ERA (53.0IP/15ER) over the club’s last eight games dating back to April 10. The starting pitchers have combined to post 47 strikeouts during the eight-game stretch, while limiting opponents to a .218 batting average against (42x193).
PILING UP THE PUNCHOUTS: Four Tigers pitchers combined to fan eight batters last night at Kansas City, bringing the club’s season total to 98 strikeouts for the season. Detroit is second among all American League clubs with 98 strikeouts this season.
ACTION JACKSON: Austin Jackson has reached base safely in 10 of Detroit’s first 11 games of the season, scoring at least one run in eight of the 11 contests. He is tied for second in the American League with 11 runs scored, while he is third with a .469 on-base percentage, tied for fourth with eight walks, tied for seventh with 15 hits and is eighth with a .366 batting average and .634 slugging percentage.
CABRERA, FIELDER FORM POWERFUL COMBO: Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are among the leaders in the major leagues in home runs and RBI since the start of the 2006 season. Fielder is third in the major leagues with 230 home runs during that stretch, while Cabrera is tied for sixth with 202 home runs. Cabrera is third in the major leagues with 704 RBI since the start of the 2006 season, while Fielder is sixth with 652 RBI.
DOTEL CLOSING IN ON HIS 700TH APPEARANCE: Octavio Dotel enters tonight’s game against the Royals having appeared in 699 games during his major league career, one appearance shy of 700 in his career. He would become the 93rd pitcher in major league history to appear in at least 700 games.
PETRY TO FILL IN FOR PRICE DURING KANSAS CITY SERIES: Jim Price will not be in the radio booth for the three-game series in Kansas City due to general health concerns. Dan Petry joined the club on Monday and will work all three games of the series to fill in for Price. Petry pitched 11 seasons with the Tigers (1979-87, 1990-91), compiling a 119-93 record and 3.84 ERA (1843.0IP/787ER) in 306 games (274 starts) with the club.
INJURY UPDATE:•
RHP Doug Fister (left costochondral strain,
15-day disabled list on April 7),
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RHP Luis Marte (strained left hamstring,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
•
RHP Al Alburquerque (right elbow surgery,
15-day disabled list on April 4).
•
C Victor Martinez (left knee surgery,
60-day disabled list on March 12).
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Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:54 am
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out swinging.